The RGM Method
"Move your brain"
The Ronnie Gardiner Method, RGM for short, was developed in Sweden in 1993 and from there it spread to England, Israel, the USA and the Netherlands. It is a training and rehabilitation method that simultaneously activates several sensory pathways and thus stimulates different parts of the brain. The method was originally developed for people with craniocerebral trauma and injuries to the central nervous system as a result of a stroke or Parkinson's disease. The Ronnie Gardiner method is also used when working with children and adults with learning and concentration problems (dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD) and people with burnout and/or depression.
The Ronnie Gardiner Method (RGM) is a distinctive rehabilitation approach that interweaves rhythm, music, and movement to enhance cognitive and motor skills. Created by drummer Ronnie Gardiner in the 1990s, this method employs a set of musical notations paired with specific body movements and vocal sounds. Participants engage with these notations, integrating auditory, visual, and motor faculties to perform synchronized actions to a rhythmic pulse. Initially designed to assist individuals with neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease and stroke, RGM has proven beneficial in promoting motor control, coordination, memory, and attention, all within a lively and uplifting framework..... and it is FUN!
The basic elements of the method are rhythm, music, movement and language, which activate several senses simultaneously in a playful way. The execution of the exercises is reminiscent of a kind of body percussion, in which the whole body is involved. Symbols specially developed for the method stand for various movements that are linguistically accompanied by fixed sound names (“sound codes”). The degree of difficulty can be individually tailored to the skills of the participants and gradually increased.
The goal of the Ronnie Gardiner method is better cooperation between the right and left hemispheres of the brain and the development of new neural pathways in the brain.
Experience the RGM method
with Ronnie's demonstration
to the Royal College of Music
The method makes use of the concept of neuroplasticity of the brain: injured or disturbed processes are resumed through intensive stimulation.
The RGM training can be used by a certified practitioner both individually (e.g. as part of the regular 1:1 therapy session) and in a group. The latter offers the advantage of group dynamics and has a positive impact on well-being.
Through the various elements, the Ronnie Gardiner method stimulates coordination, concentration, reading and speaking, as well as a sense of rhythm, self-confidence, balance, memory and motor skills.
In Sweden, the Ronnie Gardiner method has already grown into a widely practiced training method and has historically been used by music therapists, physiotherapists and speech therapists in (university) clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and practices.
Our vision in the USA is for schools to implement the Method in classrooms and after school settings as it would greatly benefit all children with their brain development for efficient learning and specifically increase attention and inter-hemispheric transfer for those with ADHD and Dyslexia.
How was the method created?
Ronnie describes how the method came about and tells the story of how it came to the scientific research community.
Note: the interviewer asks the questions in Swedish, but Ronnie tells the story in English.
